[klee-verz] 
| 1. | a North American plant, Galium aparine, of the madder family, having short, hooked bristles on the stems and leaves and bearing very small white flowers. |
| 2. | any of certain related species. |
| bed·straw (běd'strô') n. Any of several weedy or ornamental plants of the genus Galium, having whorled leaves, clusters of small white or yellow flowers, and prickly stems. Also called cleavers. [Short for Our Lady's Bedstraw, name for a plant of the genus Galium, whose foliage was used to stuff mattresses in medieval times.] |
| cleav·er (klē'vər) n.
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| cleav·ers (klē'vərz) pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) See bedstraw. [Middle English clivers, probably blend of clife, burdock (from Old English clīfe) and clivres, claws (from Old English clifras, pl. of clifer).] |